Non-runners often ask what I think about when I’m running. That’s always a difficult question to answer. Nothing. Everything. Those seem to be my answers. There are really great runs where I think about nothing; I’m just flowing along down the road. There are wonderful runs when I think all sorts of big ideas and really work through difficulties in life. One exhilarating thing I do on the run is dream. I used to dream about qualifying for Boston. Then I dreamt about running in Boston. Now I dream about new races in fantastic places at faster paces. Don’t be afraid to dream, and, if you’re going to dream, dream big. Dreaming while you run is a form of imaginative rehearsal, and it can help prepare you to run the best race of your life.

Imagining an important race has helped me accomplish my goals. While training for the Grand Rapids Marathon, I was taking a class at GVSU in downtown Grand Rapids. This put me near the running paths. Since I needed to get my runs in, I often would run on sections of the marathon route after class. Being on the course made it easy to imagine how I would be feeling during the race. I would picture myself running strong, steady, and smart. These “dream” miles helped me to run a smarter marathon on race day because I had more control over myself. During the marathon, I was able to remember all the good runs I had already done. It de-stressed me and help me control my adrenaline and fears. I had rehearsed the race, the pace, and the course many times in my mind. Rehearsal gets us ready for success.

Dreaming allows us to imagine we’ve accomplished our goals. This makes them less intimidating. Terrence Mahon coaches elite athletes like Deena Kastor, Ryan and Sara Hall, and Jen Rhines (his wife). He tells his athletes that they have to run like they’ve already achieved their goal. He says, “…this is one of the many mantras that we employ when it comes time to go after a goal that is beyond what has already been accomplished. Breaking new ground physically requires you to first break that mental barrier so that it can come into being” (quoted in  Gambaccini).

Kara Goucher also employs this strategy. She says, “I also do a lot of dreaming when I run. I can’t tell you how many state championships I won in my mind back in high school, how many NCAA titles I won in my fantasies at the University of Colorado, and how many Olympic medals and major marathons I’ve won in my head in the past few years” (Goucher). She talks about how she has always viewed these dreams as private, intimate thoughts in the past, but now she sees them as a connection to her unborn son. She dreams about all her private hopes. “Since I never share a lot of these dreams, thoughts and feelings with anyone outside of myself, my unborn son already knows me better than anyone, in a sense” (Goucher).

These professional racers are dreaming about winning major races and breaking world records. You don’t need to go this far. You can dream about an unspoken goal you have. Dream something challenging and imagine yourself doing it. Then, go out and do it.

Gambaccini, Peter. “Racing News.” Runners’ World On-Line. Web. 1 Jun 2010. <http://www.runnersworld.com>.
Goucher, Kara. “Little Dreamer.” Competitor. 2 June 2010. <http://karagoucher.competitor.com>.